Welcome to the online home of Audra Jennings, a book publicist and crafter. Here I share about both. I hope you'll find books you'll want to read and crafts you will want to order. I live a rather boring, single life. At times I would like to think I am humorous. The kids I teach in Bible class tend to think so. I also blog about current seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I don't know why, I just do.

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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

New book helps Mom and Dad trade fear and stress for joy and confidence in parenting

Preparing
for the journey of parenthood

New
book helps Mom and Dad trade fear and stress
for joy and confidence in parenting

It’s said that when a couple welcomes a new baby, everything
changes; but is that a wondrous prediction or an ominous warning? In her new
book, Expectant Parents: Preparing Together for the Journey of Parenthood (Focus
on the Family/ October 1, 2014/ISBN: 978-1589977945/$14.99), Suzanne Hadley
Gosselin examines that question from the perspective of a young mother who has given
birth to three babies in fewer than five years.

“I think many Christian couples feel fairly
satisfied with their lives and marriages when they decide to have a baby. So
hearing ‘everything is going to change’ can sound like a threat,” Gosselin
says. “Yes, a baby will change everything, but you will never want to go back.”

While
many books for new parents focus on prenatal development and the health of a
mom-to-be, Expectant Parents’
core purpose is to help new parents understand key issues related to the
arrival of a new child in the home, offering practical assistance as they
prepare themselves for long-term family success. This includes strengthening
their own marriage relationship, setting plans and expectations for parenthood,
increasing communication and preparing for the new stage of their family life
that is just ahead.

Expectant Parents could even be called a marriage book, as it offers
expert advice on strengthening that all-important marital relationship. “I
didn’t fully realize how having a baby would shift the dynamic between my
husband, Kevin, and me,” Gosselin admits. “While our shared joy in having a
baby was a really special bonding experience for us, the stress of sleepless
nights, postpartum hormones and life changes increased our need for
communication and empathy.”

It’s
often said babies don’t come with an instruction manual. Filled with expert
voices, including those of popular authors and bloggers such as Jon Acuff, Matt
Walsh, Greg and Erin Smalley and Chrystal Evans Hurst, this book actually
provides parents with the information and practical steps they’ll need for
writing their own, as they work as a team to create the kind of home and family
they desire.

Author
Dr. Greg Smalley, who co-wrote the book’s foreword with his wife, Erin, says
this guide for thinking through how a child impacts your life and marriage is
deeply needed. “This book is filled with stories from real moms and dads who’ve
been there,” Greg writes. “You’ll find practical tips and advice as you prepare
to dive into this adventure of parenting.”

Ideal for first-time
parents, this book will be helpful to any couple wanting to explore and prepare
for the emotional, physical and spiritual life-changes that come with the arrival
of any new child into the family.

Suzanne Hadley Gosselin is the former editor
of Clubhouse Jr. magazine for Focus
on the Family. She is now a regular contributor to Thriving Family magazine and Boundless.org, and the recipient of
several Evangelical Press Association awards for her writing and editorial
work.

Gosselin writes children’s resources for
David C Cook, Zondervan and Harvest House. She is also the author of Faithgirlz
Handbook: Let Your Light Shine Through and is currently working on the God’s Got an Answer for That children's
devotional and activity books to be released in January 2015. She holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and biblical theology from Multnomah
University.

After having three children in fewer than five years of marriage,
Suzanne and her husband, Kevin, who is a children’s pastor, consider themselves
on the family fast-track — a blessing they wouldn’t trade for anything. Their
family lives in Colorado where Suzanne enjoys sharing a good cup of coffee and
conversation with friends and serving in ministry with her husband. Suzanne calls
herself a Jesus-follower who delights in watching God infuse Himself into
people’s lives and stories.

For more information
about Suzanne Hadley Gosselin or Expectant
Parents visit her online home www.suzannegosselin.com.

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